Jajpur: Centenarian teacher Padma Shri Nanda Prusty tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to a private hospital in Duburi.
Prusty has been ill for the past month and is suffering from fever, cough and other old-age ailments.
His condition is reportedly stated to be critical.
Nanda Prusty – or “Nanda Sir”, as he is known in his village – has been teaching children and adults free of charge for seven decades.
When President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Padma Shri Award on Nanda Prusty for his contribution to the field of education, the 102-year-old raised his hands to bless the head of state. President Kovind, in turn, bowed his head and folded his hands in a Namaste as he received the blessing. It was a moment that won hearts on social media.
